Quick-break electric switch.



11., H. HOWARD. QUICK BREAK ELECTRIC SWITCH,

" Patented Oct; 13,1908.

n Hm APPLIUATIUH FILED OUT 24 1902 H. H. HOWARD. QUICK BREAK ELEGTRIGSWITGIL' APPLIOATION FILED 001224, 1902.

' 3141mm fez Q REM wows Patented Oct. 13,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

e sisrnrar A'rrr oasis HARRY H. HOWARD, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNUR. BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

' TO (OOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

l QUICK-BREAK ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application filed October 24, 1902. Serial No. 123,531.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-HARRY H. HOWARD, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plainfield, in thecounty of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Quick- Break Electric Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in quick break oilswitches adapted to cause the rupture of electric circuits by a quickmovement.

One of the uses to which my switch is adapted is that of rupturing thestartin circuit of as or vapor electric lamps 0% the Cooper ewitt t pe;but I do not wish to limit myself to t -e single use mentioned.

In the use referred to, and in other uses within the province of myinvention, it is desirable that the circuit of the switch should remain0 en after the switch has done its work, and invention resides inproviding m'eans where b it is impossible to leave the switch circuitclbsed after operation.

I am aware that the broad idea of providing such means, is not new; butthe device -means whereby the shock' of the moving part or parts isreceived by one of the, strongest portions of the mechanism; whereby thebreak takes place between sharp edges; whereby the fly-piece or quicklymovin part of the switch is very light and small, oi ering littleresistance to the force of the operating spring and displacing acomparatively small quantity of oil; whereby themain portion of thefiy-piece is of steel, thus adding strength to the structure; whereinthe stationary spring contacts are presse upon along their entire width,thus providing for long wear or durability; whereby there is anappreciable time element in the making of the contacts, sufficient topermit the saturation of the coils of the magnet or reactance devicewhich it acts upon when applied to the purposes of a Cooper Hewitt lamp;and wherebyother one of-the principal features of my features ofadvantage are secured in the structure and operation of the switch assuch. applied to the inclosing box, holder, or con-' tainer, I secureother advantages which are of no small. importance. For example, I makethe box with a cover and interpose between the cover and the. box apacking of absorbent material such as cardboard saturated with a gum orcement, such as shellac, impervious to oil. The screws which join thecover and the box are provided with bushings of similar material tomaintain the oil-tight character of the box; and the whole box is glazedo'n itssurface.

I provide very simple means for attaching the box to a vertical or othersupport, and I generally make contact at the rear of the box y means ofwing contact pieces which can be bent back into acut-away portion of thebox so as to take up no appreciable room in the body of the support.

My invention will be understood by referenceto the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective .of one of my switchessecured to a vertical support; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through aportion of the said support, showing the switch and its box mainly infull lines, and in the act of be- 3 is a transverse vertical sectionthrough a portion of my switch; Fig. 4 is an elevation of the main 0crating portions of the switch and its metallic frame, removed from thebox; Fig".v 5 is an elevation thercofshowing the parts in the positionwhich they occu y when the operating handle or lever of t 1e switch ispushed downward; Figs. 6 and 7 cept that they are taken at right anglesto the positions illustrated in the said figures, and with the furtherexception that some of the parts in the Figs.- 5 and 6 are shown in thesection; Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views; and Fi 10 is an elevationshowing the position of the parts just before the fly-piece leaves theposition of contact with the stae tionary contact pieces.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 is a suitable su port formy switch, in this instance a vertica support.

2 is a-box, holder or container, preferably of porcelain, or similarsubstance, glazed on the outside.

are views corresponding to Figs. 4 and 5, eX-- Moreover, by specialconstructions ing placed upon its horizontal support; Fig.

'turc takes place under oil, and the danger of the switch which are notpermanently con- The cover of the box is shown at 3, and be tween'thecover and the box proper is a pacl ing, 4, of a material that isimpervious to oil. This material may be cardboard or other absorbentmaterial saturated with glue or cement.

The box 2, as shown in Fig. 3, is filled with oil, 5, up to a pointabove the mint of rupture between the movable and stationary contacts ofthe switch. In this way, the rupexccssive or deleterious sparking isavoided. 1111 the .front 'wall of the support 1 are mounted circuitterminals, 6 and 7, with which terminals 8 and 9 on the back of theswitch box 2 are, respectively, adapted to. cooperate. The contacts Sand 9, as appears most clearly from Figs. 2 and 3, are flat spring orwing contacts, which are adapted to be folded back in to a notched orcut-away portion, 1.0, of the box 2. Thus, the surface of the support 1may be unbroken or uninterrupted, without preventing a good contactbetween the respective terminals, 6, 8, and 7, 9.

From the support 1' project horizontall rods or bolts, 1 1, 11, overwhich fit grooves or slots, 12, l2,, -i11,-thc box 2. By sliding the boxalong? the rods or bolts 11, 11, indicated in 1g. 2-, and afterwardsapplying to the ends of the rods or bolts, the nuts, 13, 13, the box '2,with its contained parts, may be securely held in position against thewall of the support 1 under conditions which provide good electricalcontact between the main switch'terminals and the circuit terminalsmounted in or on the support.

Each of the terminals, 8 and 9, is connected by a rod or bolt, 14,running up through the walls of the'box 2, with a metallic con.- tactpiece, 15 or 16, as the case may be, at the upper inner edge of the rearwall of the box 2. The contact pieces.15 and 16, coop- "erate, in theirturn, with spring contact pieces, 17 and 18, respectively. The lastnamed contact pieces are su ported upon, but insulated from, a metallicwhich forms a support for those portions of nected with the box 2. Theframe 19 is joined to the box by means of bolts, 20, 20, inserted fromthe bottom of the box and en tering openingsthat is to sayscrew-tln'eaded openings-in the frame. .The bolts 20, 20, are providedwith bushings, 21, 21, to assist in making the box oil-tight. All thesaid bolts pass, however, up through the walls of the box, where theyare comparatively little exposed to the danger of permitting leakage.lhe box-cover, 3, is secured ,to the frame 19, by screws, 22, 22, 22,22v

Above the frame 19 projects a yoke, 23, having an opening at the tothrough which a slotted and squared shait, 24, projects.

to the frame 19. frame, 19,51

The top of the shaft 24 is rounded and screw threaded to receive aninsulating button, 25, through the medium of which the switch isoperated.

The cover 3 sets over the shaft 24, and the button 25 is ut on above thecover, with room enough etween the button and cover to allowconsiderable day between them. On the shaft2 4, below the top of theyoke 23 is a collar, 26, between which and the frame 19 is placed arather strong spiral spring, 27, which surrounds the shaft 24, andresists the downward movement of the same. 'lhrough the head or top ofthe yoke 23, and through the slot in the shaft 24, runs a pin, 2*, whichlimits the upward and downward movement of the shaft 24. in the shaft24, is another slot, 29, transverse to the first named slot indirection, and traversed by a pin, 30, running through an lnner shaft,31, forming a longitudinally movable extension of the'shafi 24.

That-is to say, the shaft 31 has a capacity for loi'lgitudinal movementsindepcmlent ly of the shaft 24. Now, the shaft 31 sup )ort's afly-piece, 32, the main portion, 33, d which is of steel, faced,however, with cop ier contact ends, 34, 34, secured to the slcc lpieces, 33, 33. The contact pieces-with their steel supports are adaptedto slide towards and away from each other, and they are normally heldtowards each other by a retract ilc spring, 35, attached to staples, 36,36, on the respective movable terminals.

The inner ends of the movable parts are beveled, as shown at 37, 37, inFig. 8, and these bcvcls are arranged in line with and directly abovecorres mmling beveled rods or ieces, 38, 38. The latter are sccund to orFormed in one piece with a plate, 40, having an opening, 41, throughwhich the shaft 31 passes, and mounted upon guide rods, l2, 42. whichthemselves pass through openings in a. yoke or plate 43. The latter issupported upon, but insulated from, two posts, -14, and 45, the upperends of which posts are connected, with interposed insulating material,The means of connection are the insulated screws, 46, 46, 46, 46.

On the post 44 is supported a spring contact piece, 47, and on the post45 a similar contact piece, 48, is mounted. These contact piecesconstitute what I call the st ationary spring contacts of my switch. Theformer is connected through the post 44, wiih the spring contact 17already described, and the latter is connected through the post 45 withthe s ring contact 18. These connections are iirought about by mountingthe horizontal portion of the spring 17 at the top of the post 44 andthe horizontal portion of the spring contact 18 at the top of the post45.

Inasmuch as the spring contacts 17 and 18 are provided with connectionswhich join them through the contact pieces 8 and 5), when the switch isin position, with the line. contact pieces G and 7, it follows that thelift] lfll) tinned to a certain point the sliding pieces in thefly-piece are pressed outward by the removing stationary spring contacts47 and 48 may be the action of the apparatus as a switch residesinbringingthe contacts 34, 34, against the stationary sprinlg1 contacts 47and-48 and them t erefrom by a quick movement.

Now, it is-obvious that the shafts24 and 31 can be moved downwardbypressing on the button 25, the downward movement being a positivemovement due to sufficient pressure. Such movement carries with it thedepression of the flyiece, 33, and brings the bevelson the mova le 'orsliding parts, 32, .32, into contact with the bevels on the rods, 38,38, thus causing the slides to move outward when they have nearly oruite reached their lowermost position, ma 'ng firm but elastic contactwith the stationary spring contacts 47 and 48.

At the top of the fly-piece is a catch, 49,

with'which a trigger,- 50, 1s ada ted to engage when the fly-piece hasbeen pus ed down into its lowermost position. The trig er is pivoted toa lug, 51, secured to the rame 19, and a spring, 52, attached at one endto the said frame presses the trigger 50 towards the catch 49 so as toinsure engagement when the fly-piece is far enough down.

At the upper end 'of'the trigger is a trip, 53, ada ted to be engaged bya lug, 54, on the sha 't 24 was to release the trigger from engagementwith the catch 49' when the shaft 24 has reacheda given point'in itsreturn movement after depression.

It onlyjremains to mention the springs, 55, 55,- which extend fromopposite ends of the pin 28 to lugs, 56, 56, at opposite sides of thefly-piece. hese springs serve to carry the fly-piece upward with a quickmovement as soon as the trigger50 is released from the catch or detent49.

The action of the switch can now be readily explained: By pressing downon the button 25, the shafts 24 and 31 are depressed, the

spring 27 is compressed, and the springs 55,

' are put undentension bybeing lengthened.

When the downward movement has conaction of t e bevels, as abovedescribed, and good electrical contact is made between the contactportions of 'thefly-piece and the stationary spring contacts 47 and 48.After such contact is forced by the s ring 52 into engagement with thecatch or etent 49, thus-preventing, temporarily, the return ofthefiy-piece, and the separation of the switch contacts. This conditionexists even after the button has been released, although, when-suchrelease takes place, the reaction of the s ring 27 immediately begins tolift the sha t 24, as

has been made, the trigger 50v will be readily understood. The shaft 31does not immediately follow, but remains for a time in the positionillustrated in Fig. 10. When, however, the lug 54 on the shaft 24 hasbeen moved up far enough to engage with the trip 53, the trigger 50 ismoved outof engagement with the catch 49, and the fly-pieceis then drawnquickly upward under the influence of the springs, 55, 55.

Even with a ra id operation of the switch in the manner escrlbed, theelement of time comes in to .a suflicient extent to cause a contact ofappreciable duration between the switch terminals proper, as describedabove. On the other hand, even an ignorant manipulator of the switchwould find it impossible to leave the switch circuit closed,

as the rupture of the circuit is automatically inaugurated the momentthe operator lets go. 'The other described advantages are prescut in theswitch by reason of a switch construction which is obvious-from thedrawingsor which have been specifically pointed out in the description.The end contacts of the fly-piece are made practically as wide as thespring contact pieces 47 and 48, in contradistinction to certainstructures wherein moving parts under somewhat similar conditions aremade so much narrower than thecooperation circuit-terminals as to causeserious wear and ultimate fracture.

I claim as my invention:

1, In an electric switch, a pair of stationary switch terminals, afly-piece having sliding terminals adapted to make contact therewith, aspring tending to hold the'terminals of the fly-piece towards eachother,

- the inner ends of the sliding terminal pieces being beveled, andbeveled lugs arranged in the path of movement of the said terminalpieces, whereby, when the fly-piece is pushed inward, the sliding piecesare moved outward into firm electrical contact with the stationaryswitch terminals. l

2. In an electric switch, a pa r of stationary switch terminals, afly-piece having sliding terminals adapted to make contact therewith,means for pressing the terminals of the fly-piece into contact with thesaid stationary terminals, and means brought into action after theremoval of the power applied for pressing the terminals together,whereby the fly-piece is thrown into. the

power of a master spring adapted to break the contact. v

3; In an electric switch, a pair of stationary switch terminals, afly-piece having sliding terminals adapted to make contact therewith, aspring tending to hold the terminals of thefly-piece towards each other,the inner ends of the sliding terminal pieces being beveled, beveledlugs arranged 1n the path of movement of the said terminal pieces,

whereby, when the fly-piece is pushed in- Ward, the sliding ieees aremoved outward Signed at New York, in the county of New into firmelectric contest with the stationi Kerk, and State 01? New York, this22nd day aryswiteh terminals, and means for breek- 05 October,A..-D.,1982.

ing contact between the terminals of fshe fiy- HARRY Y. HOWA RD.

5 piece and the stationary swi tch terminals. Witnesses:

when the power ap lied to the switch for WM. H. CAPEL,

' making the describe contest is renwved, I GEORGE H. S'IOCKHRIUGE.

